The Montefiore School Health Program (MSHP), the largest and most comprehensive school-based health program in the country, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil a brand-new health center inside IS 229, which will serve 525 students there and from PS 274, located next door. Medical, mental, dental, vision, and community health services will be available to students both in-person and virtually, at no cost to families.

Students in grades PreK to 8th grade will have access to a range of services in their school building, from immunizations and physicals to treatment and management of acute and chronic illness, such as asthma and diabetes. Mental health services will also be accessible.

“This clinic is our first to launch with a newly developed nursing-led model which enables us to expand our comprehensive care services to more students in the borough,” said Rosy Chhabra, PsyD, Director, Montefiore School Health Program and Associate Professor of Pediatrics, and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Medical services located in school buildings are critical to learning. In 2022-2023, more than 1 out of 4 U.S. children were chronically absent, missing 18 or more days of school. School-based health centers help children avoid health-related absences and offer comfort to families, knowing their child is getting the care they need, without caregivers needing to take time off work to bring children to medical appointments. The Montefiore School Health Program has shown a 40% reduction in students who go home sick from school.

“The inauguration of this new health center is a milestone for the Bronx community and will have a resounding impact on students and their families,” said Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13). “By supplying essential care and support to local students, this center will serve as a beacon of hope for their future success and achievement for many years to come.”

For more than four decades, the Montefiore School Health Program has been bringing essential healthcare services into school buildings to address physical, social, emotional, and environmental factors that impact a child’s health and empowering students to get the support they need to succeed in the classroom.

“With our new clinic at IS 229, we now offer care to more than 40,000 young learners, around one in four students across the Bronx,” said Dr. Chhabra. “We are delivering on our mission to build a strong foundation for children and set them up for a bright and healthy future.”